Pokémon: From Pirate to Just

"Keep using Scald, don't give him a chance!" Sieg gave the command, and several blasts of boiling water blasted out from Crawdaunt's pincers.

The scorching water surged forward and struck Staraptor head-on. Still adjusting its posture mid-air, Staraptor let out a painful cry the moment it was hit.

"Staaaar!"

Several feathers fell from the sky, soaked by the steaming water and giving off wisps of heat.

Struggling to stay airborne, Staraptor flapped its wings with great difficulty, barely maintaining flight.

Its wings had already taken a beating from close-quarters combat against Crawdaunt's powerful pincers, and now, struck directly by hot water, they were drained of all strength.

"Staraptor, use Roost and recover your stamina!"

Reggie, watching the clock, realized the effect of Taunt was about to wear off and hurriedly gave his next command.

Sieg knew it was too late to use Taunt again. If he had his Murkrow here, perhaps it could've gotten the move in faster.

Unfortunately, Crawdaunt wasn't particularly skilled in using Taunt.

"In that case, use Substitute!"

With a sharp command from Sieg, a translucent dummy resembling Crawdaunt's body shimmered into existence.

It was strong enough to block one powerful attack.

This move was something Sieg had prepared for Crawdaunt's survivability, obtained through investments from the Joy family.

Until now, there hadn't been a real chance to use it, or rather, Crawdaunt hadn't faced a worthy opponent that pushed it to battle this intensely.

Although it had never used Substitute in combat, that didn't mean it hadn't trained for it. In fact, it was one of its most heavily practiced techniques.

The damage across Staraptor's body slowly healed, a sign that it had temporarily lost its Flying typing. Sieg made a mental note to hold back Rock Slide for now.

"However," Sieg's eyes gleamed, "losing the Flying type means it no longer resists Fighting. Time to exploit that weakness again!"

Although Staraptor had recovered some stamina, the damage and fatigue on its wings couldn't be erased so easily. A Dragon Dance boosted Razor Shell is still a force to be reckoned with.

Those wings weren't going to recover anytime soon.

And at this altitude, Crawdaunt could easily leap high enough to reach it.

"Crawdaunt, use Brick Break!"

Sieg seized the opportunity as Staraptor flew low and gave the command.

Crawdaunt's powerful legs slammed into the ground, while its tail swept behind it, launching it into the air.

Its massive claw glowed with brown-ish energy as it slashed downward, aiming straight for Staraptor's exposed belly.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge it!"

Reggie realized the danger, shocked that Crawdaunt could jump so high, and hastily called for an evasive maneuver.

But whether Staraptor had been stunned by the earlier battle, slowing its reaction time, or its wing damage from the close-quarters clash still hadn't healed, the result was the same.

Quick Attack came too late.

It took the Brick Break directly.

"Staaaaar!"

Normally, with its Flying and Normal typing, Staraptor only took normal damage from Fighting moves.

But after Roost, it had temporarily lost the Flying type and no longer resisted Fighting.

Which meant Brick Break now dealt super-effective damage to its pure Normal typing.

Sweat beaded on Reggie's forehead. He realized now that from the very beginning, Sieg had been leading the flow of the battle, step by step, causing him to abandon his usual strategy.

Casting a wary glance at Sieg, he muttered to himself, "I've got to break that Substitute before I can use that move!"

"Staraptor, use Aerial Ace!"

Despite being on the ground and forcing its wings to move, Staraptor followed its trainer's command with a trace of sorrow flashing in its eyes.

Even so, it obeyed. With a quick spin, it skimmed just above the ground and darted straight at Crawdaunt. Its razor-sharp talons tore through the Substitute, shattering the decoy.

"Climb, fast, gain altitude!"

Reggie's tone grew sharper. His eyes were now filled with an unbreakable resolve, as if preparing for a last-ditch attack.

Sieg noticed Crawdaunt's boosted energy slowly starting to fade. Dragon Dance's buff was wearing off.

Just as he was about to order an all-out end to the battle, Reggie's next command caught him completely off guard.

"Staraptor, Brave Bird!"

For the first time, Reggie's usually stoic face revealed intense emotion. His eyes sparkled with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. He didn't know whether this rarely practiced move would land.

As a technique that Staraptor normally only learned close to level 50, using it in the mid-thirties was proof of extraordinary potential.

In the air, Staraptor slowly tucked its wings. Mysteriously, it didn't fall. Instead, its body began to glow with a brilliant bluish-violet light, then rocketed downward like a missile.

Sieg's heart skipped a beat, but he remembered something.

Brave Bird should cause recoil damage. He immediately shouted, "Crawdaunt, use Protect!"

Crawdaunt raised both pincers in front of itself, a green protective barrier spreading out in an instant, forming a solid defense.

Whooosh!

"Staaaarrrrrr!!!"

Staraptor forced out the powerful move, letting out a mighty battle cry.

It was a true clash of spear and shield!

The entire stadium fell into a breathless silence. Everyone forgot to even blink. The LED signs stopped flashing, and all the cheers and roars faded.

Boom... Rumble rumble rumble!!!

A deafening explosion rocked the arena as thick smoke spread across the battlefield.

As the smoke cleared, Crawdaunt was still standing tall. Aside from a few scratches, it remained completely unharmed.

"Wait, is that Reckless?"

Sieg's sharp eyes immediately grasped the situation and the surprising strength of that last attack.

He instantly realized Staraptor might have received a buff, possibly the hidden ability Reckless.

(Moves that cause recoil damage get increased power.)

"But now the real question is," Sieg smirked confidently, "how much stamina does Staraptor have left after that attack?"

"Crawdaunt, Rock Slide."

Reggie's face turned grim. He knew, if that attack didn't turn the tide, it meant the match was over.

As the storm of rocks rained down, Reggie's final mental defenses crumbled. He gave up all thoughts of resistance.

He stopped commanding. Because it was pointless. Staraptor no longer had the strength to use another move.

Huge boulders rained from the sky, crashing into the low-flying Staraptor and slamming it into the ground. Buried under the pile, it let out a pitiful cry. Blood seeped from its wings.

It was a brutal sight.

Reggie's heart ached. Though he always came across as unforgiving with his words, this Pokémon had been by his side for a long time.

"I… surrender."

Reggie bowed his head and withdrew Staraptor. He gritted his teeth as he said the words, then glanced at Sieg one last time before leaving the stage.

"Wooooooaaaaahhhhhhh!!!"

"Dusk! Dusk! Dusk!"

"Dusk! Dusk! Dusk!"

The battle had ended, and the entire arena erupted in thunderous cheers.

To the audience, this seemingly "evenly matched" battle had been absolutely epic, especially the mid-battle melee between the two sides.

Every move hit with raw force, every clash sent chills down their spines. It had been nothing short of exhilarating!